Went out to an old spot but decided to hunt further out than normal.
Didn't see even old sign for the first 1.5 hr. The dog got birdy once but either couldn't pin it down or it was old sign. Today was another beautiful fall day, which means it was perfectly calm, and great for hiking but not great for Tucker to find birds... side note, if it blew half as much in the fall as it does in the spring we'd have a heyday on birds.
Finally got a hard downhill point and I eased in, but that damn birds didn't let me get to within 60 yards before they jumped. No shots fired. I swear I saw where they set, but Tucker couldn't find them, I feel like this could have easily been chalked up to lack of a breeze. The second covey got up even further, maybe 100 yards, at this point we were high enough to get a decent breeze, we located them again and they jumped early again, but this time landed in the brushy bottom, which always grants passing shots once flushed (they fly downhill). With my shooting, they were still pretty safe and I only managed 1 even though they came up as singles passing plenty close. The third covey held like they were supposed to, and I hit with all 3 shots, but had to double up on the second as I only dropped legs and he was locked to sailing, a sure-fire receipt for a lost bird. To my shock and awe, Tucks retrieved both birds to hand! A first.
The upper end of these basins were stellar habitat, so much more cover for the birds to hold in with a gentle enough slope you didn't have to watch your feet as you walked into the point.
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Decided I should start heading back and discovered a sweet little tucked away hanging basin that I want to come backpacking into early in the spring. There's even a spring fed water tank the Wenatchee Sportsman built.
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Went an expected while without birds as we walked with the wind back down the next draw. But when we dropped off the top enough we lost the tailwind and Tucks made an unconvincing point, relocating a few times, pretty sure there are birds somewhere here Dad, I'm just not quite sure where. They held tight and I dropped two. Unfortunately, #1 went down into a talus field and the dog never caught the scent. If still alive they crawl in the rocks and are incredibly hard to find.
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Tucker found the other one and pointed it, stayed up high, and told him to "fetch it. Dead bird." he didn't move, locked solid. I get yelling "get the bird" eventually he broke and the GD bird flushed! Immediately locked up and sailed out of sight, never to be seen again. That one's on me. The rest of the trip out was an enjoyable walk down canyon on a well used elk trail. 9 miles, 2200 vert, 4.5 hrs. No bird pics...
Top 5 day of the year, just a shitton of fun.
